Basal glucose utilization by isolated rat adipocytes have been found to be increased ten times in the presence of certain preparations of albumin. In these conditions the effects of several adrenergic agonists and related compounds on glucose oxidation, lipolysis and triacylglycerol synthesis in isolated fat cells have been studied. Oxidation of D(1(-14)C) glucose in rat adipocytes was almost completely inhibited by norepinephrine and isoproterenol when added to incubated fat cells. Agents able to modify intracellular AMP cyclic levels by different mechanisms display a similar ability to imitate the effect of lipolytic agents. The inhibition of glucose oxidation due to norepinephrine and isoproterenol is partially reverted by propanolol. Under the same conditions in which norepinephrine and isoproterenol markedly reduced glucose conversion to 14CO2, they stimulated lipolysis and triacylglycerol synthesis and in this case propanolol also reverted those actions. However, in these experimental conditions, norepinephrine and isoproterenol did not raise cAMP levels 10 min after hormone addition. It is concluded from these data that glucose oxidation through hexose monophosphate shunt, activation of lipolysis and triacylglycerol synthesis in isolated rat fat cells by lipolytic agents occurs by a mechanism(s) that depend(s) on intracellular free fatty acids levels.